Game apparatus



W. W. LAPHAM.

`GAME APPARATUS.

No. 509,316( `latmma Nov.'21, 189s.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM NV. LAPHAM, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,316, dated November21, 1893. Application filed March 28, 1893. Serial N0. 468,061. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. LAPHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Game Apparatus; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of games, and especially to thosewhich are so arranged with a view to portability that they may beproperly called pocket games.

The object of my invention is to provide a game, the construction ofwhich is such that it can easily be folded into small and convenientcompass, whereby it can be carried about in the pocket, and can bereadily nnfolded for use.

To this end my invention consists in a game comprising an innerl casingWithin which are contained the men or other articles with which the gameis played, a flexible board properly marked olf, and upon which the gameis played, said board being wound upon the exterior of the inner casing,and an outer casingin which the inner casing, with its contained men andits encompassing board is fitted, as I shall hereinafter fully describeand specifically claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention,-Figure l is a longitudinal section of my game in afolded or portable condition, portions of the wrappings b and c beingbroken away to show the contained men. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 isa view showing the obverse and reverse faces of men B. Fig. 4 is a Viewshowing the men C. Fig. 5 is aview of the flexible board on which thegame is played.

A is the inner casing. It may be of any suitable shape in cross section,though preferably cylindrical as here shown. It is of convenient lengthto be readily carried in the Y pocket, and it has a diameter sufficientto readily receive and contain the men or other articles with which thegame is played. In the present instance, for the sake of illustration, Ihave shown two different classes of men. One, represented by B, is adisk of suitable material, having a plain surface of suitable color orcolors on one side, whereby the game of checkers may be played, and onthe other side markings representing the various men of the game ofchess. These disks are of a size adapted to fit readily within the innercasing A, and they may be confined therein by suitable removable ends tosaid casing, or as here shown, they may be wrapped up in a piece ofpaperh with folded ends, and the whole package slipped into the innercasing. The other class of men is represented by O, and consists ofasmall disk of suitable material having on its obverse and reverse facessuitable colors, some of these disks being of double the thickness ofothers to represent proportionate values. These are also containedwithin the inner casing and may be confined therein by removable headsof said casing, or by being Wrappedinapiece of paper c into a bundle,and thus confined.

D is the board made of suitable exible material whereby it can be Woundup upon the exterior of the inner casing. This board may be marked olfin a suitable manner to provide for the particular game to be playedupon it. In the present instance, for the sake of illustration, I haveshown one side ot' the board as laid off for checkers or chess, and theother side of the board as laid off into a number of squares ofdifferent colors which may be suitably numbered,.and upon which, withthe men C, an arbitrary game may be played. This board D is wound uponthe exterior of the inner casing A.

E is an outer casing, into which the inner casing A`with its containedmen and its encompassing board is slipped, the whole f1tting thereinsnugly and confined, it may be by removable covers to the ends of theouter casing, or merely by the snug fitting of the parts slipped intoit. All these parts will be made of light material, and as inexpensivelyas possible, and may be ornamented as may be desired.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that the inner casing serves a double function,namely, first, the purpose of containing the men, and second, thepurpose offurnishing a base or former upon which to roll the flexibleboard in order thatit may be rolled to the proper size so that it may beeasily placed within the outer casing. Thus,

ieXible board rolled upon the inner tube and filling the space betweenthe two tubes, a series of playing men contained within the bore of theinner tube and means for preventing the escape of the playing men fromsaid nner tube, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM W. LAPHAM. Witnesses:

S. I-I. NOURSE,

J. A. BAYLEss.

